Tree damage is something that can often be seen on your local news after just about any weather event. As hardy as trees may seem, any tree can come crashing down onto ours or our neighbours' property, regardless of how old it is. A big, old tree may be both beautiful and welcome on any property, but when it comes to damage, 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall' most definitely applies.
All it takes is a well-positioned tree, and the right amount of wind, snow or other factor to cause hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars in primary, secondary, and sometimes even tertiary damage to property. But the risk of tree damage can be minimized when you are aware of warning signs, common tree diseases and how to treat the wood in your area.
How To Spot Weakened Trees
Dead trees are easily identifiable by their appearance, which is usually grey and brittle-looking. But other signs may not be so obvious. For example, the tree whose limbs hang close to power lines can be considered to be a weakened tree, as all it would take would be a good gust of wind to send one or more branches into those power lines.
Any trees on your property which have 'open wood' in the form of cracks or hollows in their trunks are already being exposed to any number of diseases which can weaken and eventually kill them; even cutting too deeply into the trunk while pruning can weaken a tree. If one or more trees on your property have mushrooms or other fungi growing on its bark, you can consider them weakened.
Another interesting sign are the forks in the trees on your property. If they are V-shaped, they will split more easily during storms. Trees having U-shaped forks are less dangerous.
Common Tree Diseases
The Quaking Aspen can be found all over the western regions of the country, and with it, the threat of Aspen Canker. The bark of an aspen is soft, making it quite susceptible to damage from fungi, animals and insects. But canker tends to be the initial culprit, as it creates the environment necessary for a tree to become infected by fungi. There are five different canker types to be aware of, each with their own identifiable signs of infection.
For example, an aspen infected by sooty-bark canker will exhibit a pattern on its bark which resembles the markings of a barber pole. Infection by Cryptosphaeria canker will be characterized by a snake-like pattern on the outer bark. All canker types can render any tree susceptible to breakage and fall by wind or weight of snow.
To the east and south, hardwood trees including dogwood, sycamore and black walnut are susceptible to Anthacnose disesase, which can be characterized by dead spots or blotches on their leaves. There are many different types of Anthacnose disease, however, and so searching for your tree species by name may result in information that makes it easier to identify this occurrence in trees on your property.
How To Prevent The Spread Of Tree Disease
Being aware of the invasive species in your area is a smart first step in preventing tree disease from spreading. Keeping all of the fallen wood on your property, whether it be for mulch or to burn in your fireplace will ensure that invasive species and disease don't spread to other areas where they may go undetected.
If you have a camping spot a few hours away, or a friend who needs wood for their own burning purposes, keep in mind that this can be enough to see the diseases that plague your own trees spreading unchecked to possibly hundreds of hectares of forest.
As well, assuming that a tree is disease-free because damage isn't readily visible does not mean that tree is a healthy one. A microscopic spore can be enough to cause quick and devastating damage to any tree.
Protect your house and property, as well as keeping homeowners insurance rates low, by keeping an eye on the trees surrounding your property.
Article Source: Minimizing the Risk of Tree Damage
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